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Gossip Girl is on one of the UK’s smaller channels, ITV2 and ratings haven’t been great. How does that make you feel?

It’s very comparable to the US. The Nielsen ratings in America are a bit outdated. But the demographic it’s targeted at is very technology-savvy. They get it from iTunes, they pre-record it on TiVo (a type of digital video recorder). So the time for appointment television is coming to an end. I guess they’re going to have to figure a way out to mould it into a new medium.

If it weren’t for the internet we might be cancelled. The viral buzz that’s taken off from the show is great. To be honest it’s almost a blessing in disguise that it’s not some massive mega, mega 90210 that typecasts us and goes a decade. It’s a bit more under the radar and cult in a way. I’m sort of fortunate for that.

How many series are you going to stay for then?

Four is a golden number. We’d be blessed to even go four.

Can you tell us what happens in season two of Gossip Girl, which was commissioned in March?

I don’t even know what’s happening. I do know we’re shooting in the Hamptons (a weekend getaway for New Yorkers), so there’s probably going to be some interesting scandal go down there on the beach. Hopefully some more fights.

Why did you want to be part of the programme?

Initially I wanted a job and to make some money! I read the script and knew that Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz were involved, who did the OC, and they’ve got the formula down as far as the writing goes. A lot of people are carried over, a lot of directors and editors from that show are involved in our project as well. Once I asked my sister and she asked her friends if they’d heard of Gossip Girl books a lot of them freaked out. They had read them and I realised that this franchise could be a hit show. It turned out good.

You’ve become famous in the States for your role in Gossip Girl. How are you coping with it?

It’s been like a whirlwind. It’s pretty surreal actually. I still have to pinch myself sometimes. But I mean, it is what it is. It’s a testament to how well the show’s doing and hopefully it’ll open doors.

Do you get bothered by being labelled a heart-throb?

It’s interesting. There’s a perception of who I am and my character and then there’s the reality. I guess people feel like they sort of know the perception, which is weird for me. When girls get in groups is when it gets pretty intense.

Have you had any near misses?

One day some girls formed a sort of doughnut shape, like a mob. We were trying to get to set and it was a bad time of day, 3.30 on a Friday when school was out. They all texted all their friends and everyone came down. They were clawing at the clothes, they wanted your tie or your Diet Coke can or anything. I had a lot of marriage proposals that day too which was kind of funny.

Is there now more security on set?

After that time the make-up girls tried to help me out. They do a have a little more security around the set now. It gets kind of crazy shooting outside.

You live in New York with your English co-star, Ed Westwick, who plays Chuck Bass. How do you find his sense of humour?

I’ve always gotten along with English folk very well. My other best friend I met four years ago is from Brighton. We’re closer than brothers. I’m Texan so there’s a crossover with our laid back kind of style. We’re very warm and open and charming. And the sense of humour thing rings true with me too. We get along very well. We have the best time shooting scenes together.

Do you have lots of wild parties at your flat?

It’s more like a frat house with pizza crusts and a lot of Nintendo going on. We have a roof deck and we’ll have friends over every now and again. I’m a bit more in favour of staying at home and having friends over and playing some games.

Chace Crawford was talking to Newsbeat entertainment reporter Sinead Garvan.